Deuteronomy 6:5 - Love God

Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

INTRODUCTION

Verse 5 is the response of the truth in verse 4:

that God is one (Heb: “אֶחָד” (eh-had) - doesn't just mean one but implies - first, highest, & the beginning)

So because God is one, the highest, the first,

Just like a child who is entitled to something because he says “ I was first”

God was first and is entitled to our love

Today we will see that that this response of love from God’s character does 3 things in our lives that “SHALL” take place in the the worship leader.

That words “you shall” is not included in Hebrew and is only added to just make sense of it.

Literally translated it would be “Love with YHWH your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength

However there is a few words we need to take note of:

this verse was a response to God’s Oneness and teaches us how to love God in oneness.

McBride said that these three words were chosen to reinforce absolute singularity of personal devotion to God

LOOKING AT THE 3 KEYWORDS

1. Love

2. In/With

3. All

1. Heart (לֵבָב - “lay-vav”)

Also means breast

The root of this word means to enchant the heart

This word is not just limited to emotions but also our thoughts.

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says it means “to set the heart upon” “to think about” “to want”

The Bible teaches that wisdom and understanding are seated in the heart. ( () ( () (). (;

The heart functions in perception and awareness as when Elisha’s heart (i.e. Elisha’s perceptive nature; RSV “spirit”) went with Gehazi (). As the seat of thought and intellect, the heart can be deluded (; RSV “mind”).

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

Teaching us that loving from our emotions and thought is the beginning of fully loving God.

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

Bowling, Andrew. “1071 לָבַב.” Ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament 1999 : 467. Print.

2. Soul (נֶ֫פֶשׁ - “neh-fesh”)

it can be translated life/person

The Hebrew scholar says that the original concrete meaning of the word was probably “to breathe”

Job 33:4 NKJV

4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

The word gives an idea that our breathe can refresh ourself (Ex23:12; 31:17; )

Teaching us that when we love God from our soul/breath it refreshes us.

In the chaos of ministry loving God with our breath can refresh us.

The word נֶ֫פֶשׁ also means appetite (ps 42:2 )

Psalm 143:6 NLT

6 I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude

The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says this word means to take

The word נֶ֫פֶשׁ is frequently used in connection with the emotional states of joy and bliss.

The Psalmist suggests the relationship between these ideas when he prays: “Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for I long (I lift up my soul, napšî ʾeśśāʾ) for you, O Lord” ().

Thus nepeš is frequently used in connection with the emotional states of joy and bliss. The Psalmist suggests the relationship between these ideas when he prays: “Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for I long (I lift up my soul, napšî ʾeśśāʾ) for you, O Lord” (). Not only can the soul be joyful because its desires are met but also because of its appreciation for the inherent worth of something which delights its tastes: “Pleasant words are … sweet to the soul” (). When filled with the sayings of the wise, the son will find that “Knowledge will be pleasant to [his] soul” (). A disciplined son “will delight your soul” (). Fully satisfied in the Lord the soul praises him [, , ; , ; etc.). But the wicked, having depended upon themselves, praise themselves ().

Not only can the soul be joyful because its desires are met but also because of its appreciation for the inherent worth of something which delights its tastes: “Pleasant words are … sweet to the soul” ().

When filled with the sayings of the wise, the son will find that “Knowledge will be pleasant to [his] soul” ().

A disciplined son “will delight your soul” ().

Fully satisfied in the Lord the soul praises him [, , ; , ; etc.).

But the wicked, having depended upon themselves, praise themselves ().

It is important for us to stop and love God with our soul not just for emotional refreshment but as says

Lamentations 3:25 NKJV

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.

3. Strength (מְאֹד - “may-od”)

The nt struggles to express the depth of the word mĕʾod at this spot

It can also be translated power, very, muchness, highest degree

Genesis 1:31 NKJV

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Exodus 1:7 NKJV

7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

The nt struggles to express the depth of the word mĕʾod at this spot

I find it interesting that strength is placed last because consequently if we do not love God with our heart and soul your love for God becomes weak

So when we are drained of passion and opposite of refreshed and our love of God has gone weak what do you do?

Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

CROSS REFERENCE

2 Kings 23:25 NKJV

25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

2 Kings 23:2

Conclusion:

The God who is one desires our complete love through our heart, breath, and ability.

We are to love God in all aspects of our living.

When we do we will find ourselves with passion, being refreshed, and empowered

McBride said that these three words were chosen to reinforce absolute singularity of personal devotion to God